I honestly think Young could displace Nani on the left before Valencia. With us being out of the Champions League the squad rotation won't be as important as it was in years past. While Nani is a better one on one threat than both of them, Young and Valencia are a lot more direct and I think with Rooney working closer and closer to midfield he wants direct wingers to spread the field.

Was very impressed with Welbeck as well. He's always been physically imposing but his touch has improved a lot this year.

Valencia is a spectacular player. I really did not see him coming on like this when they got him from Wigan.

Is it just me, or does Nani seem to get rotated out of the squad more often than most? I know he's been hurt a lot, but I get the feeling that Ferguson sees him as a flash player who's sometimes more trouble than he's worth.

I was going to give you shit about naming Welbeck in an England XI in the Capello thread, but going through England's strikers, it's hard to see how he's out until they play Rooney up top. You get into the Crouch/Carroll crowd pretty quickly going down the list. I still don't think Welbeck is ready to walk into the lineup of a title team, because he's sloppy on the ball the way Carroll is (though not to Carroll's degree), but maybe he gets bonus points for the Nino Brown hairdo.

Yeah Snake said the same thing about Cleverley and Wilshire but I don't see the downside of starting fresh with those 3 as I don't think they'll win it anyway. Welbeck's speed isn't noticeable because he's a big kid with long legs (his strides are huge) but I think his movement up top gives United (and England) a better option with Rooney playing behind.

I think Ferguson rotates Nani because of exactly the reason you state. He's immensely talented but his decision making is one of the poorest I've seen for a professional player. The sad part is he's actually improved drastically in that respect but still loses his head in bad moments. I honestly wouldn't mind him leaving, so long as either Young or Giggs can play on the left and drift in.

So United stutter into the next round of the Europa league, losing 2-1 to Ajax but advancing 3-2. Bilbao is next.

I believe I'm correct in saying that because they advanced, for some reason or another with scheduling, they do not play another Saturday kick off ALL SEASON. Its kind of strange, but I can only see it as an advantage, no?

For most normal souls outrage can only last so long, and at Manchester United, supporters' fury at the Glazer family's pillage of their club has been tempered by titles won, the glories of Wayne Rooney, Nani and the rest in full flow, as well as the passage of nearly seven years. The Glazers have sat across the Atlantic, not communicating with the club's fans, and ridden it out until battle weariness has consigned green and gold to the fringes. The release of impassive accounts for "MU Finance plc" has become a quarterly ritual, with the world pointed to the growth in the club's income, from TV deals which would have increased anyway, and commercial operations the Glazers have required to be sweated until the brand squeaks.

Yet the latest figures, covering the Glazers' financial machinations with United for the final three months of 2011, document a landmark. From October to December 2011, the cost of the Glazers' "leveraged buyout" of United, when they loaded their own £525m borrowings on to the club itself to repay, was £17.5m. The club paid £12.2m in interest and other financing charges, and £5.3m paying off some actual debt, which nevertheless remains over £400m. As documented with forensic anger by Andy Green in his "Love United, Hate Glazer" Andersred blog, the total drained out of United in interest, bank charges and other payments before these latest figures was £480m. So the total cash taken out of United, to pay for a takeover the fans and then board did not want, was £497.5m by 31 December. In round figures, and anyway now, with two months further interest from December, the Glazer family have been responsible for £500m going out of United.

If you're looking for reasons why England suck, Man U's attitude toward international duty isn't inconsequential. Ryan Giggs averaged less than four Wales caps per year when he was their best player, a period in which he never appeared for Man U less than 37 times per season.

Rooney hasn't dressed in the past two games...you think SAF would sit him out of a Premier League match just to not play in a friendly?

I can play this game, too...You think Ferguson wouldn't plan squad rotation so he could hold players out of friendlies? You think there isn't a pattern of Man U holding players out of internationals, especially friendlies, with the slimmest of excuses?

They played this game for 15 years with Giggs. Good for them, I guess.

I'm not trying to play a game. Rooney missed the Ajax and Norwich fixture. The Ajax fixture he probably wouldn't have played in anyway but the Norwich fixture was a very important one. A top half of the table team away is a tough game and being 2 points behind City made it probably a must win. I just don't think he'd risk losing because he wanted nothing to happen to Rooney for Tottenham.

They absolutely do it though, I think most teams do. Probably not as well us we do it . Maybe its a reason why Giggs has been able to play on for so long?

Entering February, the two clubs were level with City looking at Fulham, Villa, Blackburn, and Bolton over the next four, and United having Chelsea, Liverpool, Norwich, Spurs. City picked up just two points; was hoping for a bit more.

Fucking Rags don't have a tough away match the rest of the way, other than the trip to Eastlands. It's all coming down to April 30. But then again, we've known that all season long, so ...

(And that match will be won on a late goal from Tevez. And all the pontificating and menstruating will be joyous. Because I don't fucking care if Myra Hindley is scoring goals for City, just as long as they beat United.)

Just watched the game. Bilbao was as impressive as anyone has been all season.

But WHAT THE HELL was Rafael doing on the third goal? I don't care if the team thought Athletic should have given the ball back after Evra's boot came off...once Bilbao takes the ball and charges down with a shot, you have to switch on. Rafael just stood there expecting De Gea to get it. That third goal probably eliminates them from Europe.

I'm throwing in the jinx now since it's all set up for Man U to win the Title. I think they're gonna win it. In fact I'll be well shocked if they don't. In my view it's their's to lose, they have history, momentum, a keen squad of experienced pros and the greatest manager of all time ever ever. City got no chance.

There that should do it. BTW when it comes to picking winners in heads up battles i am the worst. I'm about 0-20 for the Superbowl. Always picked the Bills, the Broncos...i even picked the Bengals one year.

I'm throwing in the jinx now since it's all set up for Man U to win the Title. I think they're gonna win it. In fact I'll be well shocked if they don't. In my view it's their's to lose, they have history, momentum, a keen squad of experienced pros and the greatest manager of all time ever ever. City got no chance.

There that should do it. BTW when it comes to picking winners in heads up battles i am the worst. I'm about 0-20 for the Superbowl. Always picked the Bills, the Broncos...i even picked the Bengals one year.

As for Man U, I think that losing in the Europa League doesn't really matter if the goal was always to win the league. It would've been a lot of needless travel for a competition that most people don't give two shits about. Furthermore, winning the league would be a result of outlasting your rivals. With City out of the competition as well, it would've been a big disadvantage and a distraction to play in the Europa League, IMO, especially if you're sending the first team to those games. Last thing y'all need is another injury to that backline.